Pumpkin Cake

Ok, so it's 80 degrees here, but I'm really in the mood for fall. And my favorite thing EVER in the fall is anything pumpkin. I made pumpkin bars for the first time a few weeks ago, but I've been craving pumpkin cake. 

This recipe is seriously the best- moist and warm, topped with creamy cream cheese frosting. A great way to welcome fall!

Pumpkin Cake
makes 9"x13" or 2x 8" rounds
2 cups all purpose flour
2 t cinnamon
1/4 t cloves
2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a glass 9"x13" baking dish, or 2x 8" rounds.
In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix well. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix oil, sugar and eggs until well blended. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Add pumpkin and mix until blended.
Pour in prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until cake tester comes out with a few crumbs. Cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Hello Kitty Cake #3

This cake was for Kylie, who turned 6. She wanted Hello Kitty and Sleeping Beauty, but I couldn't figure out how to incorporate both. The cake was vanilla chocolate marble with vanilla filling.

This is my last cake before baby #4, set to come this Friday. Ahh!

Chocolate Almond Ice Cream

This is so three months ago, but I'm trying to catch up. For my hubs birthday, I made an almond cake and chocolate almond ice cream. This ice cream is his mom's recipe, and his favorite in the world. It's easy and quick- no cooking or eggs involved. Just mix everything together and throw it in the ice cream maker!

Chocolate Almond Ice Cream

makes 1 pint

1 c granulated sugar

1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder

2/3 c evaporated milk

2 c half & half

1 1/3 c heavy whipping cream

1/2 t almond extract

Combine all ingredients and stir well until combined. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

Book Review- Lunch Wars

Gloppy hot mystery food. Canned peaches or fruit cocktail. Warm cartons of milk. Multi-colored plastic trays. This is what I remember of school lunches when I was in elementary school. Waiting in line with my little blue ticket for food and brown ticket for milk, kind of embarrassed that my mom made me get hot lunch that day. Granted, I didn’t get school lunch that often; my working mom was nice enough to send lunch with me most days. But on those days she (understandably) didn’t want to make it, I got “hot lunch.”
In Lunch Wars: How to Start a School Food Revolution and Win the Battle for Our Children’s Health, author Amy Kalafa outlines her game plan for changing school food in your community. Kalafa has produced films, television shows and articles about health and nutrition. Her latest documentary, “Two Angry Moms” is about exposing school food, and this book is a follow-up to that documentary.
The first third of the book is a fascinating look into what schools are serving and the nutritional (or unnutritional- I know that’s not a word) consequences they have. I’ll have to admit that reading through all her research makes it seem like the only acceptable things to feed your kids are certified organic fruits, vegetables and meats. It’s a little exhausting.
The rest of the book is a (VERY) in-depth plan on how to start a “school food revolution” in your school and community- a step-by-step guide with everything from how to approach your school’s food director, to USDA guidelines and current legislation on school lunches.
My oldest child just started kindergarten this fall and I don’t have plans to purchase school lunches when she’s older, so I’ll admit that this topic is not high on my list. As such, I found the abundance of information tedious, but I can understand how this information could be very valuable to those parents who are concerned about this. After watching Jamie Oliver’s “Food Revolution,” in what is basically my backyard of Los Angeles, it is frightening the lack of nutritional value and the effects that school food has. This book is a great guide for those willing to take on school food, and all the politics that are apparently behind it.

Join the discussion on BlogHer and find out more about the book!

This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own

Sentimental Circus Cake

One of my best clients asked me to make her 14 year old's birthday cake (3rd year in a row!). She requested a Sentimental Circus theme, which I'd never heard of. The main character is a little bunny, a little reminiscent of Hello Kitty. Cake was orange dreamsicle.

Tangled Cake #5

Yet another Tangled cake. Tower made from rice krispy treats and a cupcake. Cake was pink lemonade with vanilla filling.

Baby Shower Cake

This cake was for a baby shower for a baby girl. The mom-to-be made all the nursery decor, and the cake was designed to match the fabric. Cake was chocolate with vanilla filling.